One of Many
by Dunamess
Summary: AU.Post SR. There is a new owner for the Daily Planet. She makes some changes but keeps everyone happy. She has some secrets of her own, so honestly, how long can happiness last…? ClarkSupermanOC,LoisRichard,JimmyOC. NEW CHP UP. RR PLZ.
1. Rightfully Hers

Author: Dunamess (Kimerad, azirademona)  
Title: One of Many  
Rating: NC-17/M for graphic violence, language, sexual situations, and possible gore  
Disclaimer: I don't own Superman or any of the characters from the Superman universe. All other respective characters are mine. So don't sue me because I have no money, it's all for college.  
Pairings: Clark/Superman/OFC, Lois/Richard, Jimmy/OFC

Summary: Post SR. There is a new owner for the Daily Planet. She makes some changes but keeps everyone happy. She has some secrets of her own, so how long can happiness really last…?

A/n: I plan to use as many characters from the movie along with the DC universe as needed to get the full depth of my story out.

Feedback: always appreciated and I even take negative criticism as long as it's helpful.

_Italics_ character thoughts

1. Rightfully Hers

Leaving Gotham City had been a hard decision. It had been her home for almost 20yrs, but now was the time for new beginnings. She'd crossed so many things off her list the day she signed her name on that sheet of paper. _I own it._ It was rightfully hers and deep down she knew that was what mattered most. No strings had been pulled, no threats were made, just a large withdrawal from her account and the world was right. She owned the Daily Planet. Her new apartment was on the east side of town, not more than 15 minutes from the Planet. This new city drew her in with its towering buildings and crowded sidewalks.

The limo came to yet another lurching halt at a red light as pedestrians walked to and fro towards their destinations. She could tell her driver was annoyed with all the traffic, but he should have anticipated it since there was more hustle and bustle here than Gotham.

"I'm really sorry about this Miss Draven; I guess the public got wind of today's announcement. It seems like everyone is flocking towards the Daily Planet." The young chauffeur continued with his apologies. Ameera Draven smiled sweetly at her friend and brushed off the event as a chance for her to soak up her new surroundings.

As they neared the Planet, she began to feel a bit nervous. Of course she was nervous, she was about to gain full control over one of the most prestigious papers in the world. _Oh god, I'm going to throw up my dinner._ She had been in such a hurry to get to the Planet that she'd completely forgotten to get breakfast. It had been a hard goal to achieve, but she was determined to out bid her godfather for the Planet. In total she had shelled out around $234 million just to get past him. Her own money was being used to buy her dream and the amount of pride she felt was overwhelming. No one had given it to her as a gift.

The limo finally pulled up to the front entrance of the Planet. A hand landed softly on top of hers and squeezed firmly. She turned towards her father who had been silent the entire ride… until now.

"I am so proud of you my dear. You've brought us all one step closer. Your mother would have been so happy to see this." Felix Draven leaned over to hug his only child.

Returning the embrace, Ameera fought back tears as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you Papa. Just know that I can do this without fail. I've managed large businesses before. This shouldn't be any different than working with Bruce at Wayne Enterprise."

Felix smiled at his daughter as he raised her hand and places a kiss to her palm. "Go my dear; I'll be up in a moment to join you for the conference. I just need to make a call."

"Alright Papa, but I wont start without you there beside me."

She grabbed her clutch purse, opened the door and made her way up the steps towards her future.

**Ok so that was short, but its really just an intro to my main character. I'm about to post chp 2 in a few mins. **

**Plz review and tell me what you think.**

**Also... givee me a heads up if you think it seems like a Mary-Sue, because I HATE MARY-SUES... unless they happen to be good ones. :P**

**thx.**

**Duna**


	2. Starry Eyed Surprise

**Disclaimer: I don't own Superman or any of the characters from the Superman universe. All other respective characters are mine. So don't sue me because I have no money, it's all for college.**

**A/n: I'd like to thank my Beta, _DragonFlame27_, for helping me out. Gracias lady.**

2. Starry Eyed Surprise

The place was huge. Stepping through those revolving doors was only the beginning of her journey. Glancing around, she noticed a large crowd of reporters from the Planet and other papers along with some bystanders who had already gathered at the podium set up towards the back of the lobby. Her stomach dropped to her feet. Talking to people in a conference room was fine, she was used to it. But the thought of so many people packed into one spot with her as the center of it all made her weak at the knees. She didn't know these people like she did at Wayne Enterprise. The thought made her panic a little; _she was going to be a full blown CEO! _

Making her way through the crowd, she had hoped to reach the front unnoticed, but failed when a small boy tugged on the leg of her pants. Trying to ignore him so as not to draw attention to herself, she heard the boy whisper something to her.

"What did you say?"

"Um, I said you have pretty eyes." He lowered his head, thinking he had said something wrong.

She blushed at the innocent compliment and bent down to be at eye level with him.

"Why thank you handsome. You happen to have some pretty blues yourself." She reached out to push the long strands of hair out of his face to have a better look at him. As the boy giggled, his eyes lit up with the same happiness.

"My name is Ameera. What's yours?"

The boy took a hesitant breath in before leaning towards her to whisper his name. "It's Jason." He pulled back quickly with reddened cheeks. He was quite possibly the most adorable child she had laid eyes on. "I have to go now. My Uncle Perry will be looking for me."

Her nose scrunched up a little at the name. "Perry White? He's your uncle? Oh, wow! You must be Lois Lane's little boy."

"Yeah, it was nice to meet you Miss Ameera."

Jason calmly touched her cheek before disappearing back into the crowd only to be picked up by a man Ameera assumed was Perry White. She was about to make her escape, but was too late as Jason enthusiastically pointed to her with a big smile on his face. She could see his mouth form the words 'Pretty Lady'.

Perry locked eyes with her before waving his hand at her. "Miss Draven! We thought you might still be stuck in traffic. I tried calling you, but your phone must have been off. I had to postpone the conference for almost an hour. Now we can start. I'll meet you up front."

She waited until he had handed Jason off to a woman she knew was Lois Lane. As he made his way to the front, she rolled her eyes to the ceiling and followed him to the front.

Lois hugged her son closer to her chest as she watched the young woman follow Perry to the podium.

"She has pretty eyes mom." She looked down to observe her son. His eyes were still glued to the young woman.

"What color are her eyes sweetie?" She tucked an errant strand behind his ear.

"They changed colors while she was talking to me. When I first looked they were dark brown. After I made her smile they got really bright like the sun. Really pretty eyes mom."

Lois stared at the woman who was now the new owner of the Daily Planet. She had to hand it to her. For a woman to be in such a position and at such a young age was an accomplishment.

"Is that her?" Richard White had come up beside his wife to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. He ruffled Jason's hair, which elicited a loud giggle from the boy.

"Yeah, that's the new boss lady. She looks really young though. I bet she hasn't even hit 25 yet." Lois observed Ameera carefully from where she stood. She had perfectly even brown skin which looked to have a natural glow to it. She wore a pair of thick black glasses, but they didn't look odd on her face. Instead they accented her almond shaped eyes and oval face. Her hair was pulled back from her face with a large green clip which appeared to be pure Jade. As her observation moved back down she noticed her eyes. Even from this far, she could make out the starburst of brown at the center that made her eyes stand out. "Pretty? No kidding."

Ameera was wearing a black pant suit and heels that gave her 5'10" frame a 1 inch boost. She wore a dark green button down blouse underneath that made her eyes stand out even more. Around her slim neck she wore a small pendant that fell to her flat stomach. Lois watched as her hand hesitantly reached up to stroke the small pendant. It appeared to be a nervous habit. Before she could continue observing the young woman, her attention was diverted to the lobby entrance where a distinguished looking man was being ushered in with bodyguards on each side. He scanned the crowd, until his gaze landed on Ameera. His eyes brightened and a large grin spread across his face.

Leaning towards Perry, Ameera murmured that he could begin. Stepping up to the podium, Perry tapped the microphone a few times to make sure it was on.

"Good afternoon everyone. Most of you are aware that the Daily Planet came under new ownership three weeks ago. Many of us thought that the winning bidder for the paper was to be none other than Wayne Enterprises, until a previously unknown bidder raised the amount and won out to gain this prestigious paper." He glanced over to his right and held out his hand, beckoning Ameera to his side. "The winning bidder was none other than Bruce Wayne's own goddaughter. With that ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to the new CEO of the Daily Planet, Ms. Ameera Draven."

Flashes from dozens of cameras went off as Ameera moved to shake Perry's hand before taking his place at the podium. She smiled for the camera and was about to speak when a final straggler walked through the revolving doors. As soon as he stumbled through the revolving doors, her words got lodged in her throat.

**Review Plz!!**

**Duna**


	3. Insensible

**Disclaimer: Yeah, not mine. Dont sue, all other characters are mine.**

3. Insensible

Clark felt eyes on him. He looked towards the podium as his glasses slid down the slope of his nose. Catching the striking eyes of the young woman on the podium, he smiled nervously before righting his glasses. They stood there for what seemed like forever, just staring at each other. They were pulled out of their reverie by Lois as she dragged Clark across the lobby.

"Where the hell have you been Clark" she snapped, "you were supposed to meet me here fifteen minutes ago so we could be ready for when the new boss arrived," she snapped her fingers in front of his face, "and would you stop burning holes into the new boss! She's not that pretty!"

"Holes!? Wait, what are you talking about Lois?" Clark finally stopped staring, barely waiting for her response before his attention was drawn to Jason who was still in his mother's arms. He was now seven and still small enough that Lois could carry him around like her little baby. He diverted his attention back to Lois before she got any angrier. "Sorry Lois, I was stuck near the subway. I got here as soon as I could."

Rolling her eyes, Lois placed Jason on the ground as he continued to watch the woman on stage. "Never mind Smallville, Perry just went up not five minutes ago anyway. You got lucky." She leaned down to straighten out Jason's collar, then handed him off to Richard before she grabbed Clark by the wrist and dragged him into the crowd, using his broad frame to push through.

"Lois? Lois! Where are you dragging me?" Feigning resistance, he allowed himself to be directed by Lois.

"To the front with everyone else. I intended to find out as much as I can about Miss Pretty Eyes." Finally coming to a halt beside a bulky cameraman, she yanked out her recorder along with her note pad. Waiting, she shoved the recorder into Clark's hand as she raised hers to have her question answered.

As Ameera let go of Perry's hand and the cameras ceased their blinding flashes, she caught sight again of Jason, and the woman who just had to be his mother, Lois Lane. Her 'take no prisoners attitude' was a dead giveaway as she steered a man wearing a look of long-sufferance on his face towards the front. Ms Lane finally released him, only a few feet away from her. For over a minute, she'd felt her skin prickling - a growing feeling that someone was watching her. That feeling had vanished when she finally laid eyes on this man, and she found herself pinned to the spot by his mere presence. Ameera could do nothing but look at the tall, bespectacled, dark haired man as he righted himself while fixing his tie.

Ameera realized she had been staring mutely when she heard Perry hissing, asking if she was alright. She turned towards him to whisper her response. "I'm fine Mr. White." She closed her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts, taking a quick sip of water to soothe her suddenly parched throat she began.

"I apologize everyone for getting a little distracted. I'm not much for speeches, so I just want to say a few words then I'll gladly open the floor for discussion. First, I'd like to thank everyone who came today. I appreciate the fact that you took time out of your busy schedule to be here for something that is possibly a first in the record books. I'm well aware that I am the first female owner of the Daily Planet and the youngest seeing as I have not yet turned 20."

More flashes went off as well as a barrage of questions about her age.

"Please, hold your questions till I finish. The fact that Bruce Wayne is my godfather might leave some of you to question if this was really my doing and not a gift of some sort that was handed to me without any hardship. I assure you that my own money was used to buy this wonderful paper and that many worked with me to achieve it. I have all the required experience to run such a large business because of the work I did at Wayne Enterprises, which is why I chose to pursue the Planet." She looked to her right where her father stood proudly as he watched her speak.

"One of those people is my father, Felix Draven, CEO of Draven-Shire Industries. He raised me into a caring, and accepting young woman who knows how to make simple things wonderful. My only regret is that I couldn't have achieved this sooner so that my mother, Alia Shire-Draven, could be here to celebrate it with me.

Whenever a new person comes into the role of a CEO, many worry that things will change drastically starting with lay-offs. I do intend to make changes in the direction the paper takes, but I intend for them all to be good ones that will benefit the paper, its workers and its faithful readers. I can assure you that everyone who currently works for The Planet will remain under her employ, until they leave under their own power, or they give me a damn good reason to make them leave. Don't let my age, my race or my gender blind you to the fact that I am an accomplished businesswoman who always has her employees well being in mind. Thank you for listening to me. I will now answer your questions the best I can."

The crowd was quite for a moment as they let her words sink in. Then in an instant hands and questions went flying from all directions.

"Yes?" She pointed to a petite blond woman in a maroon suit in the front.

"Yes hi, Margaret Shore, Gotham Tribune. Is Bruce Wayne upset that you up staged him in a buying the Planet?"

Smirking at the woman, Ameera came around from the podium so that she could correctly address the crowd. "He was a little put out, but he understood that I was willing to go through my entire savings just to win the bid. He saw my ambition and accepted the fact that he couldn't take that away from me so he refrained from making further bids. Next?"

"Miss Draven!"

"Miss Draven, over here!"

She scanned the crowd and pointed to another reporter from a competing paper.

"You sir. What is your question?"

"Alan Grimshaw, Metropolis Times. Miss Draven I was wondering how this move to Metropolis was going to effect your engagement to Matthew Nickelburry? Since he resides in Gotham City and you're here at the Planet."

Her face turned hard at the mention of the man's name. She crossed her arms in front of her and glared hard at the reporter. "There is no engagement anymore Mr. Grimshaw. I called it off last week for many reasons. I'll be giving one of my reporters the full story on that if you'd like to read those reasons in the Planet". So there is nothing holding me back from doing my job. Next question." There was a collective groan at the thought of being scooped from such a hot gossipy topic.

"Lois Lane, Daily Planet."

"Oh hello Miss Lane. I met your son not too long ago. Cute kid by the way. Your question?"

Lois blinked for a few seconds before Clark nudged her. "Will your past have any effect on the way you plan to run the Daily Planet? Also, if you don't mind me asking, what were the reasons for you calling off an engagement with one of the most sought after bachelors in America?"

"No, my past is simply that, in the past. About Mr. Nickelburry, he's quite the pervert. He happens to be almost 20 years my senior. I was expected to hand over my life to a man who spends his time destroying endangered forests and wetlands to earn his living? I think not. When I became the CEO of the Planet, I promised myself that I was starting with a clean slate and I won't allow some greedy fool to interfere with that. This is a new start for me and I plan to make it work. Besides that, he liked to sleep around while I was working late at Wayne Enterprise. I hope that answered your question."

"More than enough, Thank you."

"No problem Miss Lane. And you?" Ameera pointed to Clark as he handed the recorder to Lois.

"Clark Kent with the Daily Planet. The public and the staff were wondering if you plan to keep the Planet as the main distributor for all things Superman since it's known for being first on the scene of the story, since it's only paper he's ever granted an interview too?" By habit, Clark pushed up his glasses.

"Clark Kent? Hmm, I'll have to remember that name. Yes, even though Superman isn't one of my main interests, I plan to keel the Planet up to date with all things involving him. If the people want it, we give it to them. That all Clark?" She gave him a sweet smile as she waited for his response.

"Uh yeah, that's it. I hope you enjoy working at the Planet Ms. Draven."

"I'm already enjoying it. And please, call me Meera and I encourage all my staff to as well. Miss Draven makes me feel old."

"Meera then."

Ameera gave him a large smile before she decided to end the questions.

"I'm sorry everyone, but I have a tight schedule today and I still have to meet with the printing staff before five. Thank you for your time." She moved swiftly to the steps at the back of the stage despite the protests of the press and waited for her father to join her. Being caught off guard by the abrupt end of her speech, Perry went up to the podium.

"Come on everyone, you'll hear plenty more in Sunday's edition! Thank you all for coming, thanks for the free advertising, now out of my lobby!" Turning to Lois and Clark, "I want you two in my office. Now!" Stepping down off the collapsible stage, he pointed at the two reporters who merely nodded as he left the stage the same way Ameera did.

As Lois made her way back to Richard with Jason, she didn't notice that she was alone until she turned intent on asking Clark a question only to find him gone. "Where did he go? I could have sworn he was right next to me." Richard grabbed Jason's hand as they made their way to the elevators. "I lost sight of him in the crowd honey. That's Clark for you."

Jason watched his parents as they continued to wonder about Clark's disappearance. He had seen Mr. Clark rush off towards the exit almost as soon as Perry had finished his statement. Now all he had to look forward to was his dad's boring office for the next hour.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ameera stepped into the elevator with her father and his bodyguards. One of the men in the front pressed the appropriate button for their floor while she leaned against the back wall and let out a content sigh.

Felix glanced over his shoulder to see his daughter with her eyes closed. "You handled that quite well my dear. I especially like how you dealt with the question about that horse face man." He turned around fully after Ameera let a little snort escape through her laughter. "What is it?"

"You still call him horse face!?" She had her hand on her chest to steady herself.

"Of course I do! I refuse to let his putrid name slip past my lips." He huffed and turned back around.

"Thanks Daddy, but I'm really not dwelling on him anymore."

"I noticed."

"Anyways, I appreciate the escort up, but I can go the rest of the way on my own. I'll be fine."

"If that's what you want dear." The bell dinged to signal their level. Ameera moved to the front of the lift and hugged her father. She thanked his men and left the elevator when the door opened. As the elevator made its way down to the lobby, Felix Draven pulled out his cell phone to make sure his plans were still in order. "Yes, everything's right on schedule. Call me if you hear anything from them."

She walked calmly down the hall towards the conference room where the bulk of the Planet's reporters resided. Perry had told her to meet him there so that she could be properly introduced to everyone. Rounding the corner, some of the room's occupants came to a halt as she entered. She blushed slightly at the curious eyes that landed on her. The reporters and assistants wondering why a woman wearing a $2000 Armani suit was doing in the bullpen and not up with the other executives.

"Can I help you miss?"

She looked to her left to see a young man with a bowtie addressing her.

"Oh hello, I was told to meet Perry here. Could you direct me to his office please?"

"Sure, this way. Are you new here?"

"You could say that." She followed him to the back to a room that was completely filled with people around a large oval table. She could barely see the top of Perry's head over the rows of people.

"He's right in there miss."

"Thank you so much."

"Aw, don't mention it. Have a good one." She watched him go before opening the door.

It was more packed inside than she thought. She was happy for having worn heels since they gave her a little more height to see over the many heads in the room. She heard her name dropped a few times and tried to make her way to the front but gave up after a woman in front shot her an ugly look.

"This is insane. Thank god I'm not claustrophobic."

"Meera?" A meek voice whispered from above her.

She looked up to her left and came face to face with none other than Clark Kent. She tried to hide the effect his proximity had on her, her heart rate was just a little high, though she managed to stop herself from starting like an idiot again. "Hi Clark, long time no see."

"You want me to let Perry know you're here?"

"Not yet. I want hear what he has to say about me first." Another person entered the room which pushed Ameera that much closer to Clark until she practically had her back to his front. "Sorry."

"It's alright, I don't mind." He gave her a small smile before returning his attention to Perry. He gave no visible sign that she was affecting him the same way he affected her, and sighed inwardly in disappointment. She couldn't help but stare at him for a moment longer than necessary. His eyes drew her in with their intense color. She had never seen eyes like that, at least not around here. _Snap out of it and turn around. You have work to do._

As she listened to Perry she tried to reign in her temper.

"I noticed that only a few of you were downstairs for the speech, so I'll give you the short version. The new owner is a kid. She hasn't even hit the drinking age yet. I know she said that there won't be a lot of changes, but I want everyone to be prepared for the possibility that some of us might not be here a month from now. And that stuff she said about Superman not being her main interest, had to be a joke. The readers love and demand the Boy Scout; he makes great front page news. Who isn't interested in Superman? Am I right?" Perry ended his little talk with a large grin. It dropped from his face the moment he saw Ameera standing in the room.

She bid Clark farewell for the moment and squeezed past the people as politely as possible. Rounding the large table to stand next to Perry, she clasped her hand behind her back and stared him down, a remarkable feet considering his taller stature.

"On the contrary Mr. White, I stand by the fact that the Man of Steel isn't my number one interest." She turned to face the group of reporters and raised a perfectly arched brow at the woman who had snubbed her earlier. "I hate repeating my self so I will only say this once more. I am not a child. I do not see myself as one nor do I intend to be treated as one either. Also, on the matter of change, I have no intention of removing anyone from the company unless the feel the urge to leave themselves."

She made her way over to the window and glanced out at the city. With her feet planted evenly at her sides, she looked quite imposing. While still facing the window she addresses everyone in the room.

"The only thing I would like to do is add something. I intended to make things final with Mr. Nickelburry and will need at least one reporter to accompany me for a few weeks during the process. It may sound like a pansy babysitting job, but I assure you, the moment I expose him for the sniveling creature he is, this paper will have the scoop on the entire thing. I'm not looking to force anyone away from his or her normal job, so, I would be most accepting and willing to give you something in return for your time."

"Something like what?" The question had come from the back.

"It depends. It could be a small raise, a promotion, time off, or just a simple 'Thank you'. Who knows since it will ride on how you perform your job."

Perry moved forward to voice his own opinion. "If you're going to be off doing this, then who will be here making all the decisions upstairs?"

"I have someone already in place. Her name is Elaine Bascom. You may have heard her name in the news recently. She's…"

"She runs the Asia branch of Wayne Enterprises. So how can she do two things at once?" The question had come from Lois Lane who was now standing beside Clark again.

"Simple Miss Lane, she quit Wayne to come work for me."

"Why would anyone do that?"

"Because, I would do anything for my best friend. Even leaving a top position like the one I had at Wayne Enterprises, for a 2IC position in a smaller – though granted better known worldwide – company." A young woman emerged from the back of the room to stand beside Ameera. Being next to her, you could see their height difference easily. Elaine Bascom barely reached Ameera's shoulder. She stood beside Ameera in an almost defensive stance.

"How long were you back there for Lainey?" Ameera smirked at Elaine as she surveyed the group in the room.

"I've been there the whole time. Can I make a suggestion about picking your reporter? Don't pick a woman, because one, Nickelburry would walk all over her and two, because I doubt you would last long together before you had the urge to fire her." She gave Lois a hard look before she made her way to the door. "I'll see you back at your place Meera. Have a good one folks." Elaine sure knew how to make a first impression.

"THAT is going to be running the place while you're gone? Are you serious? Perry you can't let her do this." Lois was getting a bit irritated with how things were going.

Perry made to answer but Ameera beat him to it. "Actually, he can and he will. On that note, I think I made my decision. Mr. Kent, would you be interested in the job?"

"Me?" Pointing to himself, Clark swallowed nervously before answering. "I'm not sure why you would want me Miss Draven; I'm on the c-city beat, not s-society."

"I assure you Mr. Kent; you're exactly what I need."

"Well, uh, I'd be happy t-to Miss Draven but…" she didn't let him finish.

"Well that's settled. Lois can I have a word with you…" everyone in the room became tense.

"Yeah, why not." Lois made her way to one of the chairs and sat down as she waited for the room to clear out.

"Clark, you stay, and Perry too. I need to have a word with all of you." She waited until everyone else was back to work in the bullpen before speaking.

"You don't have to like what I'm doing, I could give a rat's ass what you all think, but the thing is; I do care. Ignore Elaine's attitude, she was just showing out. She's more than capable of running the Planet while Kent and I are away. And just between us, there is a fail safe in place if for some reason I can't do my job, the company will fall to Bruce Wayne. So hopefully, now we can look past all the first day jitters and improve our work ethics between each other. Correct?"

She looked towards Lois as the woman let out a sigh and nodded her answer. Looking at Perry he responded with a simple 'yeah'. "Wonderful. By the way Lois, I'd like to invite you and your family over to dinner tonight and Clark you too."

"Huh? Err… dinner? What time?" She blinked at the sudden change of topic, too surprised at the woman's unpredictability to make a snappy comment or refuse simply on principals.

"Seven o'clock at the Metropolis Heights. That work for you Clark?"

"Um, yeah works fine."

"Lois?" Ameera prompted.

"Yeah, I'll tell Richard." She didn't sound over-enthused at the prospect of a more intimate setting with her new boss. "I need to find a sitter for Jason then."

"No you don't. Bring him along." Ameera offered "Well, I'm running behind and I still need to talk to all the department heads perhaps before seven. See you two late on tonight."

With that, she left the office as a bewildered trio of reporters sat in contemplation of what they were in for from their new boss.

**Plz review. Thx.**

**Duna **


	4. Author's Note

Wow, I am so sorry about not having updated on ANY of my fics in so long. I have been swamped with papers and midterms and so many critiques that my mind is like mush. I am working on getting a good long chapter out for this fic and tow of my other ones. I unfortunately wont be updating "Lust For Love..." for a while because I am kinda unhappy with the plot at the moment and am having a strong urge of doing a complete revamp on it.

Besides that, I'm looking for character apps for people who want to be bad guys in my Covenant fic and also people who want to be an OC in my newest Pitch Black fic and my Superman Returns one as well since those are the ones that my mind is focused on. I would like it if you came up with unique or uncommon names since PB and SR deal with aliens :P

Here's the app.:

Character Bios

Name of Character:  
Age:  
Date of Birth:  
Sex:  
Height:  
Weight:  
Hair:  
Eyes:  
Single/Married:  
Sexual Orientation:  
Race:  
Nationality:  
Economic Status:  
Education:  
Grade School:  
High School:  
College:  
Other:  
Languages Spoken:  
Regional Dialects:  
Vocal Qualities:  
Politics:  
Place in History:  
Occupation:  
Organizations:  
Achievements:  
Awards:  
Defeats:  
Emotional Stability:  
Basic Drives:  
Attitudes/Prejudices:  
Diseases/Handicaps:  
Favorites  
Colors:  
Foods:  
Drinks:  
Music:  
Art:  
Hobbies:  
Sports:  
Names  
Of Children:  
Of Siblings:  
Others:

Thank you so much and I wanna thank everyone who reviews my fics. It really means a lot to know that people like what I'm doing. Well, I hope to have a new chapter up soon for at least one of my fics before the week is done.

Have a good one.

Z


	5. Can't Sleep

4. Can't Sleep

She had lost count of all the different documents she had signed and looked over. Her left eye had been twitching for the past hour and her head was on the way to imploding. The pain had nothing to do with her work. It was the voices. Thank goodness she was so good at multitasking or her job would be impossible. At the moment, she was meeting with some of the Planet's top editors. It was a simple meet and greet with small talk.

Reaching behind her head, she pulled the jade clasp from her hair so she could run her hands though it. She wanted to yank her glasses off too and throw them across the room. They made her eyes feel weird if she kept them on for too long. The best she could do was rub her tired eyes, as the offensive glasses bunched up on her face.

One of the editors to her left had been talking about how they needed to include more about the environment with the recent changes in the weather and ways that individuals and companies could reduce their environmental impact. She inwardly rolled her eyes at the comment.

_If they only knew how bad it really was, they would run out the door screaming._

They had moved on to another topic, but it was too much for her mind to handle.

"I'm sorry gentlemen. I don't feel so well. We can continue this in the morning after I'm fully rested. I've had a long day." She could tell that they wanted to argue the point but one look at the expression on her face and they held their tongues.

As the men began to make their way out of her office, she began putting her papers into her briefcase. The door closed to alert her that she was finally alone. Glancing around her new office, she slouched in her plush leather chair. She was exhausted, and the headache had now spread to the front of her head. Her left eye began twitching rapidly. Her hand flew up as she violently ripped her glasses from her face and flung them across the room. They never made impact with the wall.

Being so caught up in her pain, she had completely missed the door opening. Clark held her glasses in his hand as he made his way slowly towards her desk.

"Are you alright Meera?" He placed her glasses on her desk while he waited for a response.

She barely registered his presence while she rubbed her temples in an attempt to quell the pain. "What?"

"I asked if you were alright." He made to come around the desk. His movements made the floor creak, causing Ameera to hiss in pain at the sound.

"Argh! Clark don't you move another inch or so help me god I will scream bloody murder!" She had slipped even further into her chair. Her hands were deep in her hair as she groaned in pain. Clark almost moved back, but remembering what she had said, decided against it.

"I'm just going to sit down here. Is that ok?" He pointed to one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"Just hurry up and do it. Quietly."

"Done."

She opened her right eye to look at him. Indeed he was now sitting in the chair and she hadn't heard a thing. Her gaze slid down to her desk where her glasses sat, unbroken. Looking at him again, she couldn't suppress a glare.

"What are you doing up here Clark?" She looked at her watch. "It's barely 5:30."

He opened his mouth to respond, but Meera's hand flew up to stop him.

"Actually I know why you're up here. Just, don't say anything. I might pass out if you do."

Clark gave her a questioning look.

She blew out an exhausted breath before grabbing her glasses to slip them into her pocket. "I have a terrible headache. I wouldn't even compare it to a migraine. Damn all this noise!"

She shot up from her chair so fast that it fell over, making Clark jump a little at the suddenness of it all. The sharp pain in her head caused by the explosion of noise as the chair clattered to the ground, made her instantly regret her action. Walking over to the large windows that over looked the city, Meera opened the latch as she pushed the glass outward. She took a deep breath of the fresh air – in a city this size, only something that being 30 stories above the roaring traffic allowed. Looking out at the world and away from Clark, her eyes blazed.

Clark didn't know what was wrong with her, but it had to be painful. He had looked her over twice and found nothing physically wrong with her, except that she was extremely tense and her blood pressure and heart rate were both up. He watched as she stood in front of the window while letting the soft wind blow through her unrestrained hair. Her hand reached up to take hold of her necklace. He was surprised to see the change in her posture the moment she touched it. Her shoulders relaxed and her breathing had evened out as well as a rapid decrease in her heart rate.

Meera was still a little light headed, but it would fade in a few seconds. Her hand tightened around her pendant as the voices were silenced. She'd closed her eyes while trying to reign in her senses. Reopening them, she watched the sun reflecting off the tops of the tall buildings beneath the Planet.

Something caught her eye in the street below. A man was trying to pick pocket an elderly man while he waited for the light to change for the crosswalk. She squinted her eyes a little and smiled in delight as the thief yelled out in pain as he cradled his broken fingers. She knew it was risky using her abilities like that, but it wasn't like anyone would connect the incident with telekinesis – let alone her. She felt eyes on her back, suddenly remembering that she wasn't alone in the room and turned around only to bump fully into Clark's chest.

"Whoa Clark, I didn't hear you get up." She had her hands up in front of her as they rested lightly against his chest. For some reason she had the urge to push him away.

He looked at her intently before switching his gaze to the street below. Ignoring the yell he had heard, Clark looked back at Meera. "Feeling better now?"

Quickly pulling her hands towards herself she nodded mutely up at him before slipping past him to gather up her briefcase. "Yes, much better now the fresh air seems to have done a world of good. Thank you for your concern."

She was tidying up her desk when she noticed that Clark was still watching her studiously, his head slightly cocked in thought. It made her blush as his gaze never faltered. Looking down at herself quickly, she found that nothing was out of place, so why was he still looking at her.

"What is it?"

His eyes refocused on hers. "Hmm?"

"Do I have a something on my face or is it something else? You've been staring at me for the last ten seconds."

"Ah, well… no, there's nothing on your face. It's just…"

Meera placed her briefcase on the floor to lean against the side of her desk. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she crossed her arms over her chest as she waited for Clark to continue.

"Just what Clark? Out with it!"

"Uh, have we met before? I mean before you ever came to the Planet or Metropolis?" He scratched the back of his neck nervously and dipped his head to avoid eye contact with her.

Meera's eyes went wide thinking he'd discovered her secret so soon. Her arms unfolded to fall limply at her sides, covering her surprise as she arched a perfect shaped brow at him. "To the best of my knowledge, no. I think I would remember meeting someone like you Clark. You'd be very hard to forget." She smirked as his cheeks reddened at the comment.

"Me? I doubt that, but thank you anyway." He looked up at her over the rim of his glasses and smiled shyly. He could tell she was holding back a laugh, but gave up resisting.

Her laughter was light and had an enticing ring to it that flowed through his senses.

"Oh, I'm sorry Clark. It's nothing, really. Well, after we have dinner tonight, I wanted to get things organized for our little project."

"Swell." She blinked at the unexpected word. What kind of person used words like 'swell' these days? Clark continued, either used to such reactions, or oblivious. "What's the project?"

"Get enough evidence to shut down Matthew's business and expose him for the criminal he really is. The things he's involved in make my skin crawl. But we'll deal with all that later on though. I really need to get back to my place and get ready. I'll see you later tonight Clark. Oh, and don't hesitate to do some research before tonight." She picked up her briefcase and was out the door in a few seconds, leaving Clark to stare at the spot she had just been standing in.

"I swear I know her from somewhere…" He was pulled out of his thoughts as a cry for help got his attention. With a quick glance towards the door, he leapt out the window towards his destination.

XXX

She'd skipped on calling her chauffer and made her way back to the bullpen. There was no time to waste. Seeing Elaine sitting on the corner of Jimmy's desk looking over some of the photographer's latest photos of Superman, she pushed her briefcase into the shorter woman's arms.

"Whoa! Why are you giving me this?"

"Don't ask any questions; just give it to me when you come over later. I have to go. Now!"

Elaine opened her mouth to speak but the glare Meera shot her made her clamp it shut a moment later. "Alright, I'll handle it."

"Thanks." Ameera was already heading towards the elevators when she heard Elaine murmur, "You owe me big time Draven."

XXX

It was so free and open up here away from all the people and noise that circulated through the Planet that had been irking Meera all day. So for the past ten minutes, she allowed herself to spend sometime up on the roof, relaxing beneath the famous rotating orb that was so prominent on the Metropolitan skyline. While leaning on the stone railing, another sharp pain shot through her skull. Innumerable sounds follow in its wake. As her head throbbed, she ripped her jacket open in an effort to reach her necklace. Grasping the cool metal in her right hand, she peeled the rest of her jacket off with her left. Firmly planting one foot on the ledge, she pushes herself off and into the air.

Smiling at the lightness she feels for those brief seconds right before gravity kicks, she realizes that the ground is getting closer. Quickly, she squeezes on her necklace. A pulse emanates from the metal as her clothes disappear and are replaced in the same instant. She starts to slow down in her decent to the ground. Her body is now clothed in a thin black material that clings to her body like a second skin. Eyes open, she sees the frightened faces of the bystanders below her. Being only a few inches from hitting the pavement, she stops.

"My god!" A man whispers loudly from her left.

Hovering above the ground, they begin to surround her while they look on in wonder. Sensing someone close behind her, she takes off towards the sky before they can touch her. As an afterthought, she fly's past the windows of the bullpen, slow enough to attract the attention of the suddenly excited reporters inside.

They watch her leave until she's no more than a speck in the sky.

Up in the Planet, dozens of reporters are still pressed against the glass of their windows.

"That wasn't Superman… was it?"

"No, that was definitely a woman."

"Well if it wasn't Superman, who was it?"

Lois's eyes are still glued to the sky as she listens to her co-workers. The clothes that strange woman had on looked familiar. With wide eyes, she runs back into the bullpen.

"Chief!!!" There was still time to make the morning addition.

XXX

As Superman grabbed the last person from the ground floor, he heard another group of people yelling from the northern and western sides. There were so many people still trapped in the factory and time was running out. As he dropped of the people he had been carrying near the paramedics, he rushed back in to gather up the last few stragglers from the western side but came to a screeching halt as he neared the door. The room was empty. Using his x-ray vision he was able to see that the entire western side was void of people.

"What in the world…?"

He shook off his shock as the floor began to shake from the crumbling structure. Giving the building a last thorough look, he flew out an adjourning window before the entire factory began to sink into the ground from the massive sink holes forming around the building

Making his way over to the paramedics, he noticed a tall, dark skinned woman dressed all in black with dark hair flowing down her back. She was attending to the wounds of some of the workers. But she definitely was not a paramedic and she wasn't dressed like one of the workers, so who was she?

She was yelling something to one of the policemen who was there to keep the bystanders away from the scene. As her voice floated to his ears, his heart skipped a beat.

"I need someone to block off the western side. There are some hidden sink holes over there that need marking. And I need more bandages please." The soft huskiness of her voice brought him to the ground, as he began walking towards the group she was in.

She stiffened the moment she heard him land. Ignoring him for the moment, she looked up at the man whose leg she was binding, she smiled.

"It's going to be alright sir; it's just a small graze. Just change the bandages when they get too soaked and wash out the wound thoroughly." She rose up from the ground and looked to her left where some cameramen were trying to push through the barricade the police had put up.

"Shit," she swore so softly that if he hadn't had super hearing he wouldn't have heard her.

Backing away towards the trees, she was only a few inches from the ground when a large hand wrapped around her wrist, pulling her back and halting her escape.

Turning around sharply she hissed her words. "What the hell!?"

"Who are you?"

Yanking her hand easily from his grasp, she addressed the man the world knew as Superman in a way no one else had done before.

"None of your damn business Mr. Underpants. And you're welcome."

"Excuse me Miss? Welcome for what?" His eyes grew wide at her statement. _Mr. Underpants?_

"For getting those people out. You were going far too slow. You wouldn't have made it in time so I got them out myself. Anyways, I gotta go. So piss off." This time she didn't give him a chance to grab her as she made sure her take off was immediate.

Superman watched the young woman fly away from the scene too shocked at the suddenness of her move to take off after her. By the time he'd recovered, she was long out of sight. She sure had a mouth on her. His face was scrunched up in thought as he remembered her. Her eyes… they had been such a strange burst of brown; it was almost like the sun was shinning from their center. The one thing that made him cautious was what she had been wearing. Her clothes had seemed almost Kryptonian in design, but that wasn't impossible. Was it?

"Superman!"

"Superman! Who's your new partner?"

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"Where is she from?"

"What's her name?"

Numerous flashes went off in his face as the cameramen had now been joined by the local reporters.

"I'm sorry everyone, but I can't comment on that right now. Have a good evening." He raised an arm in his 'flying' pose and shot into the air away from the milling crowd.

XXX

sorry for the short update. I just finally got finishes with the semester. now i have to get back in contact with my beta who is almost 12hr ahead of me lol. well i hope you like where this is going so far.

-Z


	6. Black Dresses & Unwanted Guests Pt1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Superman or any of the characters from the Superman universe. All other respective characters are mine. So don't sue me because I have no money, it's all for college**

**A/N: sorry for the delay. had some really bad writers block going on. Also, this chapter hasnt gone through any Betaing, so if you read anything that sounds odd, let me know. Otherwise, enjoy. :D**

**5. Black Dresses & Unwanted Guests Pt.1**

XXX

He was hovering hundreds of feet over the Atlantic deep in thought. He wasn't sure if he should be concerned or hopeful about the strange girl who had startlingly displayed more than one of his powers. _What is possible…?_ No, it was better not to get his hopes up until he knew more. One thing was for certain, he'd be keeping an eye on her until he could determine her motives. He wished he still had his father's memory crystals so he could ask him about her. But when he noticed the sun setting, he realized what time it was and his decision was made for him.

"Oh jeez, it's almost seven." Superman looked down at himself and rolled his eyes. "I need to get changed." Resuming his flight, he made a beeline for Metropolis.

Landing on the roof of the apartment complex, he picked up the gym bag he'd stored by the door for such an occasion. Quickly changing back into his civilian clothes, he glanced at his watch and blew out a sigh in relief. He had time to spare. Stuffing his suit into the bag, he walked down the stairs to his room. Numbly dragging his keys from his pocket, he opened the door and stepped in.

Clark's apartment was scarce since he spent most of his time at the Planet. He threw the gym bag onto the dark green sofa in the center of the room. He placed his keys in the little clay pot that Jason had made for him last summer at camp. Glancing at the clock on his wall, the time read 7:03 pm. He had twenty three minutes to get to restaurant to meet up with Lois, Richard and Jason.

Speeding away quickly towards his room, he shucked off his clothes as he headed into the bathroom for a shower. Turning the water on to as hot as it could get, he slid under the powerful spray as the water cascaded down the muscled planes of his body.

This night was going to be awkward, if nothing else. Having dinner with his new boss, his son, his mother who was also his ex-lover, and her husband.

"Yeah, very awkward."

As he grabbed his shampoo, his mind drifted to the young woman from he'd encountered earlier. He chuckled to himself as he worked up lather in his hair. She'd called him 'Mr. Underpants." Kids these days. Kids? Was she that young?

He rinsed out his hair and stepped out of the shower as he grabbed a towel off the rack. With the towel wrapped tight around his waist, he moved towards the sink to fix his hair and finish getting ready.

Stepping out of the bathroom a few seconds later, he walked over to his closet to pick out what he was going to wear for dinner. 'Should I go casual or formal?'

A thought came to him that he should wear black instead of his usually earth toned apparel. Finally dressed with a clean suit underneath, he walked out of his apartment building and hailed a cab. The ride to destination would give him some time to think about his day, especially how eventful it had been.

Looking out his left window he notices a streak of black shoot across the sky. His face scrunches up in thought. _It was the girl for sure. But what is she doing in Metropolis? _

XXX

"Damn, I'm going to be late!" The mystery heroine increases her speed as she flies through the sky. Thinking better of things, she reaches to her hip where a small pouch is located to fish out her cell phone.

"Come on… pick up Lainey…" It was almost on the fourth ring when she hears the click of the receiver.

"You better be here in the next five minutes or I'm leaving." Elaine picked through her bowl of chips as she sat on Ameera's black leather couch. "Really now, this is cutting it close. So what if you can speed through getting ready, but you still have to get to the restaurant to meet them there ya know?"

With the phone pressed against her ear, the heroine glides smoothly under the Millau Viaduct in the south of France. "Wow like I didn't know that already. I had to make a stop by Alderic's to pick up my ring. So cut a girl some slack. On top of _that_, I've been flying around, lifting shit, catching baddies, and kissing babies all day long. Forgive me if I'm hesitant to rush home and change into a dress, which I hate." She rolled her eyes and swore again as she veered to miss colliding with a flock of geese.

Elaine sat up to push her now empty bowl aside. With wide eyes, she clutches the cordless phone closer. "So, how was it? I mean your first day on the job and all?"

An exhausted breath leaves the heroine's mouth as she smiles into the phone at her friend. "It was pretty awesome Lainey. It's draining but not physically. More like a mental strain. It's hard not to hear everything when you can… well, hear everything. People were expecting him, but when I showed up and did my thing, I felt liberated and important as a unique person and not just a suit." Looking down at her hand, she remembers the little girl she helped that day. "There was this little girl in China that had been trapped in the rice fields somehow, and when I saved her she called me her Guardian Angel. How sweet is that?"

Elaine had been straightening up while she listened to her friend on the phone. "You know Chinese!?"

The heroine chuckled. "Yes Elaine, I know Chinese. I know practically every language there is on the planet, including the made up ones. Anyways, I'm at the end of the ocean. I'll be home in a few minutes. See ya later."

"Later sister." Ending the call, Elaine stored the now clean bowl and made her way onto the terrace to wait for her friend's arrival.

XXX

As the heroine makes her way to the shore, she stews over the other things she intentionally forgot to inform her friend of a few moments ago; about how she had met up with _him_ earlier in the day. Spinning in a leisurely fashion she lets out a boisterous laugh as she remembers his face. He had been surprised at her response to him of course. She wasn't one for swooning over a pretty face, even though he was rather handsome, and a well made piece of man too by the looks of it. A sour look passed over her face. "Mind outta the gutter missy, need to think about non egotistical men right now, like Clark Kent."

Smiling to herself again, she slows her speed only a little so she can get a better view of her new city, Metropolis. As she hovers over Metropolis Heights, she thinks of the shy reporter again. Dinner was going to be an interesting event. Floating down gracefully to the terrace, she spots Lainey sitting in one of her pale blue chairs.

"You have maybe twelve minutes to get ready _and _get down to Marcheis in time to meet them and not look suspicious." Elaine begins to push her friend into the living room before pulling the sliding door closed and drawing the curtain across it. She turns around to see what looks like a stranger to her. "Whoa."

"Whoa what?"

"Uh, nothing. I just hardly recognize you in your 'save the day' clothes. Not that you look bad, because you actually look hot. But you do look different, almost younger in a way."

The heroine places her hand over her chest as her friend looks on. An instant later, the young business woman has returned. Patting her self down, she sucks her teeth. "Damn, I left my glasses on the roof with my jacket! Shit!"

"Nice one superwoman."

Shooting her friend a sharp look, she sneers at her before making a mad dash for her room to get ready. Throwing open her closet door, she moves past all her jeans and tee shirts to the back where her evening wear resides. Pushing aside a few tasteless dresses, she spots her winning outfit for the night. Yanking the black Vera Wang dress from the hanger she hugs is close. "Thank you mom."

Giggling like a school girl, she quickly jumps into the shower to rid herself of the daily grime. Emerging fresh and rejuvenated, she pulls on a black thong and a matching strapless bra. As she shimmies into the dress she hears a small growl from the left corner of her room.

"What the…? ELAINE BASCOM, YOU FORGET TO FEED MY DOG!?"

A few seconds later, Lainey burst through the door to see Ameera bent over slightly as she bathed her Italian bull Mastiff in little kisses. "Oh gross, you're kissing him and he's probably been licking his ass and balls all day. No thank you miss." Leaning against the door, she hears the low growl again. "And don't you growl at me. You know how I don't like being jumped on and you always do!"

"For the love of Java, he's just a baby still. You also smell like Salt & Vinegar chips so of course he'd jump you. My baby loves his chips, don't cha Sissy?"

"I thought his name was Sicily?"

"It is. I just call him that as a nick name. Anyways, I'm off. If you don't want him to jump on you, you can change into some of my things and you'll be fine. His new chow is next to the sugar container on the counter. You called the driver right?" Ameera looked up at her friend as the large dog placed his face in her hand.

"Yeah I called a few seconds before you came home. So, just one thing before you go, how do you plan to let the world know who you are? You want me to make a neon sign and post it on your back for when you fly around saying, 'I COME IN PEACE! GIVE ME YOUR SALT & VINEGAR CHIPS AND NO ONE GETS HURT!' Huh, sound good?"

She had to fight to keep the smile off her face as she looked at Elaine. "No, I don't but thanks anyway, really. What you can do for me is grab my spare glasses off my bathroom sink. And about my introduction to the world, I have an idea."

Returning with glasses in hand, Elaine flops down onto the plush mattress of the California king sized bed. "Daily Planet type of idea?"

"Pretty much. There's no way I'd give an exclusive like this to another paper." With her back to her friend, Ameera snags a bejeweled black handbag for the night. As a second thought, she remembers her ring and slips it on. She hears Elaine get up as she comes to stand beside her. Taking Ameera's hand, Elaine admires the large Jade ring on her right ring finger.

"That thing is huge. Your mom had good taste in jewelry. Well, before I darken the mood, you need to go. Your ride is probably here already."

Turning her head to the floor, Ameera scans the building all the way through to the garage at the ground floor. "Yeah, he is here. Thanks for tonight Lainey. I really appreciate it." Turning to Elaine, she envelops her in a warm hug.

"Aw shucks, you're like a sister to me. And besides, who else you gonna let watch your place with all the 'secret' crap you got hidden in here, huh? Not a soul." Laughing at her own joke, Elaine ushers the young CEO to her door with Sicily hot on their trail. Handing her some dark lip gloss, her cell phone and wallet, she sends Ameera out the door and down the hall to the elevator. "Don't call me unless the world is ending or you get laid, because I won't pick up!"

Snickering at her words, she waves back at Elaine as the elevator doors begin to close, cutting her friend out of view. Running her fingers through her hair, her hands graze her bare ears. "Crap, I forgot earrings." At her statement, the metal around her neck begins to warm her skin. Looking down at her chest, she notices a small glow emanating from the precious gem. "Oh, what have we here…" Placing her hand in front of her necklace, a light weight enters her palm.

"Whoa, black pearl earrings. Thank you." She places the dangly earrings in her ears. As an after thought, she rubs her necklace in thanks and is pleased by the soft thrum of appreciation that goes through her body. "Let us just hope no one calls for help tonight that the cops can't handle. I want to get to know these people for who they are."

As the elevator doors open on the ground floor, Ameera is met with a barrage of flashing lights and screaming voices. "What the hell!?"

Catching the eye of the doorman, she sees his look of apology. Pushing her way through the crowd, she moves swiftly in her heels across the lobby towards Gregory, the doorman.

"Care to explain how the media got in here?"

"It wasn't me Miss Draven. That man over there let them in." Gregory pointed to a tall man with blonde hair across the lobby that was reclined in one of the chairs. As their eyes locked across the room, her blood ran cold. "Son of a Bitch. It's Matty Boy." Looking back at Gregory, she leaned in to whisper instructions to him in a clipped tone. "I'm not blaming you for this at all. Just call Mr. Wayne as soon as I leave and inform him that Matthew Nickelburry is on the premises. You got me!?"

"Uh, yes… yes ma'am. Sorry about the delay Miss and have a nice night."

"Ditto to you." She left without a second glance back. She knew he was watching her every move. It sickened her to no end to be in the same state as him, let alone the same room. With her heels clicking across the pavement, she let her self enjoy the fact that Bruce was going to be livid at the knowledge of Matt's whereabouts of the evening. Coming up on the driver, she greeted him with a small smile as he opened the door for her.

Reclining in the center of the plush seat, Ameera pulls her cell out from her bag and dials a familiar number. As the accented voice floats to her ears, she addresses the receiver in his native tongue.

"_I thought you were keeping tabs on him. So why is it when I get to the bottom of MY building, I see that bastard looking at me from across the lobby and not through a TV screen thousands of miles away!? Explain that to me please, because I thought the amount of money I pay you would more than handle that."_

There was a short pause on the other end. _"Miss Draven, how nice to hear from you. Unfortunately, someone else paid double what you did for us to revoke our surveillance of Mr. Nickelburry. Be assured that your last payment will be refunded to your account without argument. Thank you for your time that was invested in our company. Goodbye." _

_Click_

"What the fuck?" She looked at her phone as she whispered to herself in shock. To say she was angry and amazed was an understatement. Resisting the urge to snap her phone in two, she slowly returned it to her bag. Seething with anger and confusion, she sees the restaurant come into view. Looking towards the entrance, she is greeted by an energetic wave from Jason White. Putting on what she hoped was a convincing smile; she slouches down to the bottom of the Limo.

"FUCK!" Yelling out in a final bout of anger, she grabs her necklace and exhales in a calmer manner. "See, that's why I hate freelancers! Driver, let me off here. I'd rather walk the rest of the way." Straightening out her dress, she hears the click of the locking mechanism. Opening the door, she calls back to the driver to assure him she'd find her way home.

As he drives away, Ameera looks to the sky in longing way. _I can't wait to lie down in those big clouds tonight._ Looking towards the restaurant, she sees her shy reporter standing awkwardly next to the married couple. _Guess she wasn't the only one out of place here tonight._ With her head held high, and a sweet smile in place, she made her way to young Jason White, the only one out of all of them who was truly comfortable where he was.

XXX

A/n: hope that was a decent update. I plan to write some more this week and have chp 6 up soon. Leave me some good reveiws.

Duna


	7. Black Dresses & Unwanted Guests Pt2

6. Black Dresses & Unwanted Guests Pt.2

XXX

Her mind was foggy with the events of the night. Everything had been going smoothly until Matthew had shown up to give her the scare of her life. No matter how strong she was physically, that man had always found a way to unnerve her to no end. It shouldn't matter now that she had moved on to bigger and better things, and yet, she felt his sudden appearance wasn't by accident. Hopefully this dinner would turn out to be a high point of her night.

Seated at the head of the mahogany colored table, Ameera listens to the outside world. The distant voices of the other occupants of the restaurant begin to register in her mind as she lets herself drift back to the people sitting with her. Looking up, she notices that their attention is on her.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Um, nothing. You looked like you were off in another world for a second there." Richard exchanges a quick glance with his wife seated next to him.

"I was just thinking about someone I met earlier today. But, enough about me, why don't you two tell me about this lovely city? I feel like a tourist here." She made sure her smile showed humor even though it didn't reach her face.

As she listened to Lois's description of her favorite places to go for window shopping and the best place for a hot dog, her eyes slid over to the silent reporter who was on the other side of Jason. Clark had been quiet for most of the night sans for the greeting she had received from him earlier. Even that had been terse, as if he were afraid to look or talk to her. It pained a little to think that he wasn't comfortable being around her. Maybe she was rushing things by having this meeting so soon, but she couldn't be inconsiderate. These people were the ones that made her business. Without them, there wouldn't be a _Daily Planet_. She'd caught the end of Lois's talk and responded in kind to let her know she had been listening.

"You really love your shoes don't you Lois? I know it might sound odd, but I don't really like window shopping that much. It always bugged me when my mother and I would go out and all we did was look. I wanted to buy something but she wouldn't let me. She would say, 'Meera, even if we have more than enough to buy everything in the store, we don't have to get it.' I always hated that. I only go shopping when I intend to buy something, not just look and wish that I was getting it. Hence, why I loathe shopping sometimes." Lois was looking at her as if she was an alien.

"What kind of woman doesn't like to go shopping!? Eh, whatever floats your boat I guess boss lady."

Ameera snickered at the new nick name she had received from Lois. It seems she was loosening up to her already. She could tell Richard was still a bit cautious around her and Clark had a very long way to go. With Jason to her left and Lois to her right, she was in full swing with the colorful conversations going on. When their food arrived, the conversations were put on hold partially.

As she took another bite of her Smoked Duck Confit, her eyes drifted upwards and locked on Clark. She had caught him staring at her for about the fourth time that night. Some might have found it annoying or rude. She on the other hand found it to be cute. She held his gaze across the table. Smiling as his cheeks flushed, she finally broke the spell as the waiter approached their table.

He came directly to Ameera. "Miss Draven, there's a Mr. Wayne here to see you in the lounge."

She actually had to hold her tongue. That man sure worked fast. Scanning the restaurant with her x-ray vision, she landed on her godfather. Bruce was, as always, dressed to the nines whenever he went out for such occasions. His back was to her; until she visibly saw him go stiff. Turning around, he looked right at her and winked. Cursing quietly under her breathe, she excused herself from the table and made her way to the lounge to have a talk with her dear godfather.

Clark's heart was still beating at a fast rate. The way she had stared at him was unnerving.

XXX

"When did you get here Bruce?"

"Well, hello to you too kid. How's life in Metropolis treating you?" Bruce was being coy. She could tell by the way his eyes had hardened that he was clearly upset about something, most likely that something being Matt. With her brow arched, she played along.

"Things are going good. For now I mainly handle things in the mornings at the _Planet. _Elaine might be getting more than she bargained for soon. Besides that, I like it here; the people, the work, the food, everything. Where's the squirt? I thought you two were attached at the hip?" She smirked at the sour look that appeared on his handsome face.

"He had homework to do. So he had to miss out on joining me. Believe me, he wasn't the least bit happy about not being able to see you." Bruce stole a look into the dinning area and observed the group that Ameera had been with. "Wait, is that Lois Lane? Wow, you really are blending. Never would have figured you for the social type. Anyways, why is he here?"

She had been so caught up in their previous conversation that she had almost forgotten why he was there in the first place. "Uh, I really don't know. I just came down from my place, was mobbed by about fifty media freaks and then I saw him across the way just chilling in the lobby… watching me. The doorman told me that he had let the media in. I was really unsteady after that; almost lost it too. Even worse, someone knocked me off my surveillance. Whoever it was paid a hefty sum to overrule me like that." She was biting her lip over the frustration of everything.

"Maybe we should sit down, sounds like this is going to take a while. You sure it'll be ok to leave your guests unattended for a bit?" He led her to a secluded area of the lounge to an unoccupied love seat. She had lost some of her pallor when she had begun to talk about Matt. Her views on the situation were clear, if she had her way, she would kill the man if he gave her cause that much he knew. Reaching across to grasp her hands, he held them to his chest before kissing her fingers. "You know he can't hurt you right? All he can do is throw words at you. The bastard has no power over you whatsoever. See?"

Her eyes were welling up. No matter who he was when he had the cape and cowl on, he was always her godfather first. Sometimes he felt like a father more than anything else. He had most likely put off some huge meeting and rescheduled to high heaven just to make the trip out here to see her; to comfort her. She reached for him and embraced him in a crushing hug. She heard him gasp a bit and the creaking of bones a moment before she released him.

"Oh jeez. I'm sorry Bruce. I forget sometimes." She chuckled nervously as she scooted away in embarrassment. "I really appreciate you coming out here on such short notice. I just… I didn't know who else to talk to. Dad thinks all my ties are cut with him."

Bruce crossed his arms across his chest and reclined in his seat giving Ameera a hard look. "You mean to say, you didn't tell him about the surveillance?"

She rolled her eyes at him a moment before getting up. "Ok, you know my father. There's no way he would have approved of me coming to Metropolis if he knew I was still having issues with Matt."

"And? You would have come here either way. So what does it matter if he knows?"

"It matters a lot Bruce. He isn't as accepting of my abilities as you are. If he had his way, I'd be Vice President of Draven-Shire Industries right now instead of paving my own way in the world. I came to metropolis for the simple fact that my father has no power over me here." She scoffed and began to pace in front of him. With her hands on her hips, she continued her rant. "Do you know he wants me to turn my shares for the _Daily Planet_ over to him after the liability phase is over? Huh!? Can you believe that!? He doesn't think I can do it and he doesn't want Elaine to handle it either."

Throwing her hands up in exhaustion, she plops down next to Bruce again as she places her face in her hands. Soft sobs reach his ears as he curses under his breath. Reaching for her, he brings her closer so that her head rests on his chest as he rubs her back. "Hey now none of that. You know how I hate it when you cry on me. Listen, I came here to deal with Matt and I will, I promise. But your father is out of my hands. As long as you keep your head up and take good care of the paper, everything will be fine."

Lifting her head up, she sees his face slacken a bit. "What? What's wrong?"

With a voice that is deeper than usual, he replies "Your eyes have changed."

"Shit. Give me a second to get my bearings." She grasps the pendant at her neck and inhales slowly as she tries to calm herself. Aware that she was no longer talking to Bruce, but The Dark Knight, she regains her composure.

Releasing the pendant, she stands so she can smooth out the creases in her dress. Turning around, she addresses her godfather. "Just forget about it Bruce. I'll figure something out. I'm sorry for dragging you all the way out her for this. I have to be a big girl now and fight my own battles. On that note, I've been thinking about that clause in the contract for the _Planet_. I'm going to hand over half of the company to Elaine so she can handle the on site business. I can't be on call there and be _out_ as well. It wouldn't jive. Have a lovely evening Bruce and give the squirt my love." Without a second glance back, she made her way back to the dinning area leaving her white knight scowling in the dark.

XXX

Clark had done his best not to ease drop on Ameera conversation. But it had come as quite the surprise when he had tried to hone in to her voice specifically, that everything would fade out. No matter how much he tried to concentrate, he couldn't sift through all the other noises when ever he tried to hear her voice alone. It was almost as if something was blocking him. Sticking his finger in his ear in hopes of relieving the ringing sound, it suddenly stopped as the chair at the head of the table scraped across the floor, signaling Ameera's return. He frowned as he watches her swipe quickly at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Are you alright Ameera?" He asks her in a voice so low, he couldn't be sure she had heard him.

Her hand stops midway across her cheek as her eyes lock with his. She tries to compose herself quickly then lets out a hesitant laugh. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine." Taking a deep breath, she pushes away from the table once again and makes her way over to Clark's side. Bending down to be level with him, she whispers softly into his ear. "If I was upset about something, a dance would make it all better, don't you think?" Pulling back a little, she was happy to see the blush that crept up to redden his cheeks.

"Uh, sure, I guess. I bet Lois would have no problem lending Richard to you for a few songs." He cleared his throat to keep the squeak that was bubbling up at bay. Turning his head, he took in a sharp breath at how close she really was. For a moment, their eyes stayed connected, then he watched as hers slowly slid down to stare at his mouth before he noticed her smile widen even more.

"I wasn't thinking of asking Richard. I was actually hoping that you would dance with me, if only for one song." Her eyelashes batted in a way that was both flirtatious and humorous at the same time.

"I don't think that's very professional Miss Draven." The immediate pout that appeared on her face made her look younger than she was.

"We're off the clock Kent. On top of that, we're going to have to do more than just dancing on the assignment anyways so man up and dance with me." Her tone was playful, but her eyes shone with deep intensity as she waited for his response.

"Er, how about later then?" He chuckled nervously at his reply. Swallowing the hard lump in his throat, he could see the small tick that moved at the side of her mouth as she rolled her eyes.

"Uh huh. Sure." She removed herself from his personal space and disappeared behind him. Letting out the breath he hadn't known he was holding, he relaxed in his seat. It was more than surprising to him when he felt the small hand wrap around and take a firm grip of his left arm. He even blinked a few times as he was abruptly yanked from his seat. He didn't think to look at the source of his uprooting. He was still focused on the table, watching Lois and Richard as they gave him bewildered looks and Jason as he giggled and shook with laughter in his chair. How was it that even with his feet moving slowly, he was being practically dragged across the room? Any possible answer escaped him as the hand left his arm.

Slowly turning his head around to the front, his eyes fall on Ameera who is proudly sporting a smug grin upon her lovely face. _Lovely face? Where did that come from? _

"You weren't going to give me that dance later, so I chose now instead. So straighten up Clark, they're about to start."

Their location finally occurred to him. _I'm on the dance floor!? What the hell!? _His body went rigid even as he felt her touch him lightly as she placed one hand on his shoulder. He snapped out of his daydream as her right hand cupped his cheek gently. He only had to lower his head a little to see her since she was taller than usual in her heels. _She's much taller than Lois ever was._ He watched her face for a moment and briefly caught the look of defeat flash in her eyes a moment before it disappeared.

"If it bothers you that much, we can go and sit back down. I'm sorry for dragging you out here. I just, I was upset and wanted to do something to take my mind off things. It was wrong of me to just pull you out here against your will." She began to turn away from him in disappointment but stopped as she felt warmth begin to spread at her lower back.

Glancing up timidly at Clark, she could see the deep blue of his eyes clearly. The intensity she saw in them startled her. The large hand that rested upon her flushed skin slid to her hip as the beginnings of a song reached her ear.

"A few dances wouldn't hurt." Pulling her just a little bit closer, they began to move slowly to the music.

She felt foolish now for asking him and even more foolish for that display of strength she had pulled off while dragging him across the restaurant to the dance floor. Her mind was screaming at her to remember that he was her employee. Her heart fluttered restlessly as she gazed up at him causing her mind to go silent as she realized it was useless to fight. Twirling with such grace that most of the other dancers spread out to watch, she felt like she was moving on air. Blinking for a moment and quickly glancing down at their feet she let out a relieved sigh as she saw her feet were indeed still on the ground.

She was caught off guard as she was thrust away from him briefly for a delicate twist and brought back with a swift snap of his wrist. Flush up against him again, she gave him a dazzling smile without missing a step and continued to dance along. To say that she was lost in the moment was an understatement. Twirling around on the dance floor with Clark Kent was the high point of her night, until she caught sight of Bruce glaring at her from the entryway. She stalled mid-step but recovered quickly. Returning his glare, she raised an annoyed brow in his direction.

When he spoke, she knew his words were for her only. _"I just got a call from home. Apparently your Ex has been trying to do some digging into your private files at Wayne Enterprises. When you're done fooling around, come back to Gotham. Immediately. Alfred and I will be waiting."_ He didn't linger. She listened to his receding footsteps as well as the increased beating of her heart. What was that bastard Nickelburry up to?

As the song ended, so did her peace of mind. She let Clark lead her back to the table as she ran her plan through her mind. She'd finish dinner with her guests, spilt right after, and head to Gotham to chew out Bruce and deal with Matthew. Satisfied with everything, she looked up at Clark and smiled as he pulled her chair out. Lois and Richard commented on how good they had looked out on the dance floor and how they had no idea that Clark could dance like that.

"Blame my mother. We country bumpkins do know more than just square dancing." They all laughed at that comment. The mood light for the moment, Lois began to make small talk as the deserts were served. Ameera was taking a sip from her water when she was caught off guard by Lois's newest topic.

"I need to get an interview with that new Superwoman I saw earlier today. Everyone is buzzing about her. The way she just flew up in front of the windows at The Planet was amazing."

As Meera choked on her water, she covered it quickly with a laugh. "I thought The Planet was hooked on Superman?"

"Well, it is. But come on! Passing this up would be unforgivable. She flew like him and I bet she's strong like him too. I don't know how, but I need to talk to her. I got to interview Superman first; I might as well get her too."

"Really? What makes you think she'd want to talk to the reporters? I heard she bolted as soon as she'd helped those people at the factory, and also in Asia. Seems to me that she might be publicity shy."

"Ha. Believe me, I have my ways."

Both Richard and Clark whispered at the same time, "No kidding."

Glancing at everyone quickly, an idea comes to her.

"Why don't you just ask her for an interview?"

Sipping her wine, Lois rolls her eyes at Ameera. "Oh yeah, let me check my phonebook under S for Superwoman. Wait… is that even her name? Oh God, I have to do the naming thing again? Geez!"

"No, none of that. Just put it on the front page."

"You'd let me have the front page for that? Really?"

"Absolutely. But only for the full day issues on the day of your choice. Something like, 'New Heroine! Who is she? Where is She from?' etc. Write a small blurb about what is know about her as of now. Then towards the end ask for information directly from the source. Call her out. I bet you you'll hear from her soon."

Eyes wide around the table, Lois smiles at her boss. "You know what, that's a good idea. I'll get started on it tonight when I get home and have it on your desk before 9."

"Wonderful." Looking around at her guests and new friends, she sighed. "Unfortunately I have to leave you guys early. I have a meeting that starts way to early tomorrow morning. So I have to go." Getting up to leave, she is once again charmed by Clark's sweet ways as he helps her out of her seat.

"It really is a shame you have to leave so soon." Looking shyly down at his feet, Clark takes Meera's coat from the waiter that had arrived to leave the check.

"Aw, thank you. I know. I'm such a downer. Don't worry about the check. It's already been taken care of."

As Richard begins to protest, Lois subtly elbows him in the side to silence him. "You're too kind. Jason honey, say thank you to Miss Harven."

With her coat all buttoned up, Meera bends down to talk to Jason. "It's all for the kid."

"Thank you Miss Harven."

"You are so welcome sweetie. I'll see you around the office." Ruffling his hair in a caring manner, she turns towards everyone else. "I'll see you all tomorrow. Have a lovely night."

Making her way out of the restaurant, she adds a little extra sway to her step. At the entryway, she turns around and isn't surprised to see Clark watching her. Winking at him quickly, she takes her leave.

XXX

_3 Days Later…_

"Do you think that letter was a prank? We've been up here for 20 minutes already."

Rolling his eyes again, Clark listens as Lois continues to whine.

"She's probably off saving people."

"That's no excuse. She said 10:10 and it's now 10:31. It's windy as hell up here. If she isn't here in the next 10 seconds I am leaving. 1… 2… 3… 4… 5…"

"6, 7, 8, 9, Oh whoops I'm here!"

They both whirl around to look up at the spinning globe that represents the Daily Planet. Sitting atop one of the rings is the mysterious Superwoman. With her head resting in one of her palms in a relaxed manner, she watches them patiently.

"You know Miss Lane it's not nice to rush people. I was all the way in California when you two came up here; I was dealing with some brush fires. Sorry for the delay." Leaping gracefully to the floor below, she lands without a sound.

"Um, heh, no problem. We can start whenever you're ready." Reaching into her purse for her recorder she waits with anticipation for this remarkable interview to begin.

"Sure. I'll just sit here on the ledge."

"Alright. Clark, come on!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry." He was too mesmerized by the way the woman had moved like a predator. It had distracted him.

She was now nestled in one of the small corner alcoves on the ledge as she waited for the questions to begin. Trying to keep a straight face this whole time was hard, but she had to be professional. Introductions and all that stuff.

"So, how do we do this? I'm kind of new to the whole 'interview' thing."

"Oh, well if you don't mind, I'll start off with some basic questions. Is that ok?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, she waited.

"Ok good. Well first off, who are you?"

The woman arched a brow at Lois. "Could you be more specific? Do you want my name or my origin?"

"Both please?"

"Hm, ok. My name is Aria Faru-Tahl, but I go by Aria or Ari for short. And my Origin of birth is a planet called Krypton." Her second response got shocked looks from both of the reporters, but a more angered one from Clark.

"You're lying." The deepness of his voice showed his anger.

"I assure you, I am not. Let me be more specific. My people are originally from Krypton but I was born on Mitigar."

"You're still lying."

Huffing in aggravation at having her interview interrupted she hisses at Clark. "Clark, stop it!"

Aria waves a hand nonchalantly in her direction. "No Lois, its fine. Why do my answers anger you?"

"Because everyone knows Superman is the last of his kind."

Throwing him a skeptical look, Aria waves him off.

"That Kryptonian is mistaken, believe me. He simply has his information wrong."

"How?"

Putting herself into a more comfortable position she replies.

"This planet knows about his journey to the location where Krypton exploded. What that fool didn't do is look harder. Unfortunately, that happens to be why I'm here."

With slight hesitation Lois speaks. "Wait, you're here for Superman?"

"No, I'm here for the Kryptonian babe known as Kal-El. He's all grown up now. Obviously. I was sent here to find him and ask him if he wanted to come home. To _our_ home which is an evolved species of the Kryptonians. My people are the closest thing he has to a home planet."

Aria watched Clark closely as he stood in a rigid stance next to Lois. "You want to know how there's anyone left when he was told that everyone on the planet was dead?"

"Yes."

"Well, my ancestors that were on Krypton were warned by a renowned scientist named Jor-El. It was known that he had been speaking to the council about how the planet was going to explode and how he had been ignored. My ancestors resided on the island of Vathlo. Jor-El and our elders were great comrades so it was no surprise for him to warn them. Unlike the council, we did not ignore his warning. Our scientists secretly began populating one of Krypton's moons. There were many of us. Before the oldest of us could make the trip, the planet exploded.

It was known that Jor-El had spoken of his own plan that included his only son, Kal-El. He had informed our elders of this and the information was passed down to our people. Unfortunately, the explosion threw the moon complete out of orbit. We fully intended to follow the babe to his destination and retrieve him when the time was right. But like I said, we had been thrown so completely out of orbit that pursuing the babe was the least of our problems at the time."

Aria had noticed how pale Clark had gotten during her explanation and found it to be quite amusing. "What's wrong Mr. Kent? You look a bit pale."

Wiping his palm against his mouth, he tries to absorb everything he's heard. Feeling the strange woman's eyes on him, he returns her look, only less friendly.

"How long have you been here?"

Picking at her nails to show her disinterest she answers haughtily under her breath. "Long enough."

"How long!?" This time his voice booms making Lois jump back and away from him.

"More than twenty years. Like I said, long enough."

"I still don't believe you."

"Ha! Like I care if you believe me or not. As long as Kal-El does is all that matters to me. I only agreed to this interview because I want the media to give me a break."

She could see he was getting redder by the second. "Do you even care about the people you save; about this planet?" He had moved closer to her and had practically yelled into her face.

Standing to her full height she let her eyes glow red and for a second she caught a glimpse of fear in his eyes. Snickering she walked over to Lois, completely ignoring the fuming reporter.

"Miss Lane, if you don't mind, I'd like to continue our interview alone…" Giving Clark an unsavory look she hooks her arm into Lois' and begins to lead her to the farthest side of the roof. "Your partner seems to be too emotionally attached to this simple task so if it is of no issue to you, I can take us to a more private location. I'd be happy to drop you off at home afterwards, of course." She made sure to add a shinning smile to help lighten the mood.

She hesitated for only a few seconds. "Yes. That sounds great. Just give me a moment with Clark ok?"

"Don't be long Miss Lane. I still have many things to attend to tonight."

"I'll be quick." Distancing herself from Aria, she moves over to Clark.

"You need to get a hold of yourself Kent! What would have happened if she had just jumped off the side and left!? Where would we be? Info-less is what!!!" Raking her hands through her long hair she pokes him in the chest with her index finger but cringes at the action. "Ugh! Go home and take a chill pill Kent. I'll give you the lowdown tomorrow morning." Walking away without a backwards glance, she leaves Clark with only the sound of her clicking heels.

Still angry and more than confused at what had just happened, he watches as Aria picks Lois up bridal style and begins to hover above The Planet slowly. When she is far enough away that Lois' human eyes can't see Clark, she turns her head towards the reporter and mouths the words that would make him explode in rage.

"_See you soon Kal-El."_

_**Oh my God!!! I'm so sorry for taking so long to update this fic. School took over . I found my written copy of this story so I just have to type it out and tweek what needs tweeking. My BETA is also M.I.A. so excuse any grammatical errors for the time being lol. I hope this was long enough to make up for my time away. Thanks.**_

_**(Also, I'll go into what happened with her and Bruce back in Gotham in the next chapter.)  
**_

_**~Duna  
**_


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